apparition

Ever had dinner with a ghost? Well here is your chance, Ghost Hunters! Snow Hill Country Club is haunted, and had been serving up “Dinner and a Ghost” nights on Fridays in October for the past 12 years. In fact, the place is so legendary, that it was featured on an episode of the Biography channel’s “My Ghost Story.” The country club is located just outside of Wilmington, on State Route 73. The “Dinner and a Ghost” nights feature food, fear and even an overnight stay.

The Food Adventures Crew have eaten in many scary places, but this was our first “Haunted Food Adventure.” The food is pretty straight forward. On our two trips to the country club, buffet items included turkey and ham, while another night they featured ribs and salmon. The meal is rounded out with salad, a couple of sides and a dessert plate shared by the table, or possibly some cake.

But we weren’t here for the food, we were here for the ghosts. And Snow Hill delivered….

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— “Dinner and a Ghost” features appetizers in the bar and a buffet style dinner. The menu has improved since the 1820’s and they wont be serving rabbit, steamed onions, venison and beef tongue anymore.

One of our dinners featured Ribs and Salmon

— After dinner, the hosts take you on a guided tour complete with historical information, sound recordings of unexplained voices, and even a couple of photos believed to be “supernatural.” Tour gurus include historian Kathleen Madison and Ghost expert/Paranormal Investigator Shelly Suittor. Supporting cast includes Ghost Hunters Kat Powell and Alicia Soich.

— After the tour, guests are encouraged to look around for about an hour and explore for themselves. During this time a few notable unexplained “phenomenon” have been known to occur.

— Attendees may purchase alcohol at a full service bar on the main level.

— There are 6 guest rooms, and groups may make reservations to stay the night for about 100 bucks per room. Included in the stay is “ghost hunting” all night, if you have the guts to roam the halls late at night. Even golf may be arranged during good weather.

— Snow Hill Country Club is located in New Vienna, Ohio at 11093 New Vienna Rd (Daytonians know this as State Route 73). Famous visitors have included Henry Ford, Eleanor Roosevelt, and legendary 1920’s golfer, Walter Hagen.

— Minimum groups for ‘dinner and a ghost’ are 12 people. Cost of dinner and tour is $45 per person.

Click to enlarge: What you think of the “orb” in this photo. Is it the sign of a spirit ?

MUST SCREAMS:

— Snow Hill was built and owned by the Harris family in 1820. It was a popular Inn and tavern up through the 1900’s. One of the oldest running businesses in Ohio, the country club is said to be haunted by spirits of past owners, family members and past guests.

— Many stories abound from the 70’s and 80’s like a man whom believed he hit a pedestrian in the road, but noone was found. Or records of police and firefighters responding to alarms and seeing unexplained light and movements throughout the house.

Big Ragu was taking photographs in the dark, damp cellar thought to be a passage for the underground railroad. In some of the photos, some circular orbs appeared, one very prominently. We were told that many ghost hunters believe these are tell tale signs of “spirits” in the room. To be honest, we do not know what to think, other than the orbs were strange and not in photos taken of the same place seconds earlier. The prominent orb in the photo had a distinct outline and almost looked to have “veins” running through it. Odd indeed. Is it a spirit? You decide.

The Big Ragu was in the storage area of the basement, when the door next to him opened about an inch and then slammed quickly. He looked around the room at the handful of people near him and they had that “oh crap” look on their face. Ragu opened the door and saw a dark empty hall with a staircase, there was nobody there. There was also a moment where the Big Ragu felt something grab his back pocket. He was unsure if this was a fan who liked his behind or a ghost.

Elegant, yet Spooky: Stay the night… if you dare

— During our 2nd visit to Snow Hill, one of our fellow guests took a photo of what appears to be an apparition in one of the bedrooms. Again, unexplained and just plain weird.

— Recordings of various unexplained voices gave us goosebumps, especially one particular ghost that whispered the word “Becky” as clear as day on the recording. The voice was creepy like Golem from Lord of the Rings movies, or like someone who ate too much at Golden Corral.

— An 1880’s portrait photo of an man was found in a cupboard, and when locked away, would keep appearing in various open areas of the country club. One of the tour guests recognized the photo as her ancestor Thomas Wilson, a Civil War vet. Since being identified, it was found out that he was a former owner of the country club, purchasing it at auction in 1898. Since being identified, his photo has ceased moving inexplicably.

—A candlemaker tool levitated and slammed to the ground on a couple of occasions in front of various dinner party guests a few years back. The theory is that the ghost of the original owner, Mrs Harris, might not be keen on a “peasant tool” being allowed in her formal dining room as decor.

With Halloween around the corner, this is the perfect time for “Dinner and a Ghost” at Snow Hill Country Club. We were skeptical going in, and realized after 2 visits, some things happened that we couldn’t explain. Were they spirits from lives past? Look at our photos, listen to the recordings in person. Is the place haunted? Did we see “ghosts?” You decide…. and check it out for yourself, but we suggest you don’t go alone.

Click to enlarge: On our 2nd trip to Snow Hill a fellow guest took this pic. Is is a ghost?